Friday, August 31, 2012

This is the perfect summer meal. Peaches are still wonderful right now, though I am wary it won't be that way for long. So we are eating as many as we can, enjoying them while they last. Miss F only wanted peaches "with no brown stuff" on them. She is a fresh peach fan, but I think she needs to grow a little bit before she can appreciate peaches on the grill. I also think the spicy grilled peaches would be amazing over vanilla ice cream, I may just try it with some of the leftovers. We enjoyed this with fresh corn, but cous cous or rice would also work perfectly with it. This recipe is from Good Housekeeping.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I am obsessed with fajitas. I could eat them once a week. Now that we don't have a grill, I don't make them as often as I used to. I saw this recipe on one of my most favorite blogs, Tide and Thyme. She is a Maryland girl, like me, and I usually want to make nearly every recipe she posts. Everything always looks so amazing. These fajitas were a huge hit at our house. I adapted the recipe to cook the chicken indoors, but I bet it would be even tastier on the grill. Miss F even gobbled up the bell pepper. She cleaned her plate with no issues at all. I freeze chipotle peppers individually in ice cube trays from the large can they come in, that way I can always have them on hand and don't waste any.

Whisk together the chipotle, juice, oil, water, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the chicken breasts to the dish and marinate for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a large sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the pan, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over the chicken, re-cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and tent with foil.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in the pan over medium high heat. Add the bell pepper and onions, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until peppers and onions are tender.

Slice the chicken into strips, toss with the pepper and onion mixture. Serve on warm tortillas with cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

Monday, August 27, 2012

It's that time of the month, time for the Secret Recipe Club. I received the blog Lavendar and Loveage this month. Karen lived in England, so I thought I would choose a traditional English recipe. I went with Hot Buttered Crumpets. The recipe seemed easy enough...but that was a bad assumption. The first crumpet seeped out of the ring and made a huge mess on my griddle. I then tried it again weighing down the ring with a plate, that helped a little, but with the low heat, it never really cooked through. I decided to use less batter on crumpet number three to see if it cooked through, it looked wonderful until I flipped it, then it deflated. It turned out to be the consistency of Yorkshire Pudding (at least I was keeping it British!) I amped up the heat for the fourth crumpet and that helped a bit. I think the moral of the story is that I am going to leave the crumpet baking to the Brits.

Place the flour and salt into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and yeast making a well in the center. Pour in the warm milk and water and mix to give quite a thick batter. Beat well until completely combined and cover with a tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour until it's a light, spongy texture. Stir well to knock out any air, add the baking soda and pour into a large jug - mix well and allow to stand for a further 30 minutes.

Heat a non-stick frying pan, or a greased griddle over a very low heat with a drop of oil or butter. Wipe the pan with kitchen paper to remove excess oil/butter. Sit the greased crumpet rings in the pan and leave to heat up for a couple of minutes. Pour in enough mixture to fill the rings just over halfway up the sides. Leave to cook until lots of small holes appear on the surface and the batter has just dried out. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Remove the rings and turn over the crumpets to cook for a further minute or two on the other side. Sit the first batch of crumpets on a wire rack whilst continuing to cook the remaining crumpets.

Serve the crumpets warm, generously buttered. If you are making crumpets in advance, then reheat them by toasting lightly on both sides before serving.

Friday, August 24, 2012

It's time again for my favorite recipe swap, blogger's choice. This time I was assigned Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations. There were so many amazing recipes to choose from, but this pasta dish stood out to me. I love roasted garlic and C doesn't complain about the smell like he does with sauteed garlic, so it was a win-win. This sauce is amazing. I will definitely be using the sauce on other pasta recipes as well. The roasted garlic really sets it apart from a regular alfredo sauce. Miss F devoured her pasta, broccoli and bell peppers. We don't have a grill, so I roasted the chicken while the garlic was roasting. Thanks to A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting another great swap!

Cut the top portion of the garlic head, drizzle with one teaspoon of the olive oil and season with salt. Wrap the garlic in foil and bake for 45 minutes and let cool. Remove the garlic cloves by squeezing the garlic from bottom. Add roasted garlic cloves into a mortar and pestle, mash until it resembles a paste. Add a little bit of olive oil to help liquefy.

While the garlic is roasting, place the chicken breasts in a greased baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over each breast and sprinkle with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Slice into strips after resting for 5 minutes.

Cook the penne per package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and onions to the skillet. Cook until the onions are slightly translucent for 5 minutes. Whisk together the prepared garlic paste, cream and corn starch. Pour the cream mixture into the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the parmesan cheese and broccoli and mix well. Let it cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the penne into the sauce. Top the pasta with the sliced chicken; garnish with basil leaves and additional parmesan cheese.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

My dad requested pulled pork for his birthday dinner. Miss F and I loaded up the car with the bread machine (for brioche buns), my crockpot, a pork shoulder and our swim suits to spend the birthday with Grandad. I made this barbecue sauce the day before, it was inspired by Confections of a Foodie Bride, but I cannot stand store bought barbecue sauce. The only sauce I have ever found even remotely tolerable is McCutcheon's, but I have only ever seen it in Maryland. I have seen McCutcheon's jellies here in Texas, but the barbecue sauce remains elusive. This sauce works perfectly on Dr. Pepper pulled pork. It may not be the fanciest of birthday dinners, but it sure was tasty.

Monday, August 20, 2012

When I saw this recipe pop up in the last Secret Recipe Club reveal on I Am a Honey Bee, I knew I had to try it. It is very similar to my favorite kebab recipe, but I loved the addition of chili garlic sauce. Next time I make these, I am going to increase it to one tablespoon, I love the heat. I made things easier on myself by using canned pineapple, but I imagine it would be amazing with fresh pineapple chunks. C was a fan, except for the mushrooms, which I was happy to eat off his plate. Miss F only ate the pork and bell pepper. I am still puzzled by her pineapple aversion.

Soak 10 wooden skewers for at least an hour before using them or use metal skewers.

Combine the soy sauce, juice, vinegar, garlic, chili garlic sauce and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Reserve two tablespoons of the marinade. Add the pork to the bag and marinate for 1 hour or more. Thread the pork, pineapple, red pepper, zucchini and mushrooms onto the skewers.

Grill the kebabs over medium-high heat. Using a basting brush, brush the kebabs with the reserved marinade each time you turn the kebabs grilling each side. Cook the kebabs until done with an internal temperature of the pork is 145 degrees. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Friday, August 17, 2012

This salad was thrown together for lunch one afternoon at my parents' house. Originally, the plan was to grab a pizza, but Miss F decided she didn't want pizza for lunch, so we threw that plan right out the window. My mom had a salmon steak in the fridge and off we went to make a salad. She was in charge of grilling the salmon, while I prepped the salad and dressing. This salad is bursting with summer flavors. The dressing is tangy and complements the salmon perfectly. And it tasted so much better than carry out pizza. I just used the veggies that my mom had on hand, but it would work well with any summer vegetable. Just don't skip out on the avocado...

Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush the salmon steaks with olive oil and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill 3 to 5 minutes per side, until salmon is cooked through.

Divide the romaine, cucumber, tomato, corn and avocado on to two plates. In a small food processor, process mashed avocado, vinegar and sugar. Pulse until well combined. Drizzle the olive oil into the dressing with the processor running. Drizzle the dressing over the prepared salads. Place each salmon steak on top of each salad. Serve.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

I will be completely honest here, I cut the slaw recipe in half because I knew it would be rejected by C and Miss F. They had guacamole and shredded cheese on their tacos. C still questioned "why is the pork cubed?" but both he and Miss F gobbled it up. I had bought pre-shredded carrots and cabbage from the salad bar for the slaw, so C questioned "why did you buy prepared slaw?" If he isn't going to eat it anyhow, why does he care? And it was just from the salad bar!Nonetheless, this recipe was a winner. I adjusted the seasonings to suit my tastes and it turned out amazingly well. Thanks to For the Love of Cooking for the inspiration.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until tender. Add the pork, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, salt, cayenne, coriander and pepper. Squeeze the lime over the pork. Stir until seasonings are coated evenly over the onions and pork. Cook the pork and onions for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until pork is cooked through. Divide pork among warmed flour tortillas, top with slaw.

Monday, August 13, 2012

One of my favorite quick weeknight dinners is chicken cheesesteaks. I have always been intimidated by making actual cheesesteaks. After a visit to a local cheesesteak shop, Texadelphia, I decided to give it a shot. Turns out that cheesesteaks are even easier with steak. I made the "guranteed" to be crisp oven sweet potato fries that have been all over Pinterest with them. Save your cornstarch, they were an absolute mess. Luckily, these sandwiches were filling enough on their own, so no one missed the fries. Especially Miss F, who hates fries.

Preheat the oven broiler. Slice the sub rolls and brush with the olive oil. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly toasted. Place the steak in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove the steak and slice into ¼” strips. In a sauté pan, heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the bell pepper and onions, sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the steak slices and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste. Divide the steak into four equal portions and place on the toasted rolls. Top each sub with two slices of cheese and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

This meal was totally not what I had planned to make. I had brined the pork chops with the intention of making Martha Stewart's Crispy Apricot Pork Chops. When I pulled out the ingredients from the refrigerator, I looked and looked, but I couldn't find the jar of apricot preserves. I swore I had some. I went to the store twice that week and both times didn't get the preserves because I was so sure we had some. I guess I used them all up making Apricot Brie and Arugula pizzas. I had to improvise and Dijon Panko Pork Chops were created. Miss F gobbled up her pieces, even though she was turning up her nose at the Dijon when I was making the pork. After dinner I realized I had mango pepper sauce in our pantry, which I will try next in this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Brush the pork chops with the Dijon mustard on both sides, sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Coat the pork chops in the Panko. Grease a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place the pork chops in the prepared baking dish and spray with more cooking spray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.

Add salt to water in a large re-sealable container. Add thyme, peppercorns and pork chops. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Remove from the brine and pat the pork chops dry before preparing.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

As soon as I saw this recipe on Branny Boils Over, I made an immediate change to my weekly menu. So out went barbecue beer chicken thighs and in came Peach Chicken. I had everything on hand since it is the height of peach season right now. I know Miss F and I are going to both be very upset when it ends, we really like having a peach or "nectardream" every morning with breakfast. Next time I might finish this on the stove top instead of in the oven to try and thicken the sauce up a bit more. The peaches were a lovely complement to the chicken and they weren't overly sweet. This is a perfect summer meal.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in an oven safe skillet with a lid over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Meanwhile combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, orange juice and broth in a small bowl and set aside. When the chicken is browned, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture and the peaches to the pan. Turn the heat up to high and cook, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce begins to thicken and the peaches soften. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 10 minutes more. Serve.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Now that my parents are here in Houston, we can have crab feasts whenever we like. The day after the july 4th holiday, Miss F and I headed down to Clear Lake to enjoy some crabs. We had a call in to our favorite seafood market and knew the boat would be arriving around 11 am. We showed up at 11:15 am, just as they were dumping the crabs into the big storage vats. The crabs were massive. And fiesty. Unlike in Maryland, where they get the crabs for you, Texas is self serve. You get a pair of tongs and a paper bag. We collected about four dozen of the largest crabs in the bin and headed home. After making crabs for years in Maryland, I first had crabs steamed in Texas by my father-in-law. There are two things we learned from Texan crab steamers. First, they cook the crabs outdoors here, in a big crawfish/turkey fryer. We had to fashion a steamer out of a steamer basket, screws and nuts since it doesn't come with a steamer. The second thing we learned from Texans was, once the crabs were steamed, to store them in big coolers to keep them piping hot. Add this information to our already vast Maryland crab steaming skills and you have the recipe for a perfect crab feast. A couple weeks later we headed to Maryland for my cousins wedding and went to Harris Crab House for crabs. The verdict was we couldn't tell the difference between the crabs from Galveston Bay and the crabs from the Cheasapeake Bay. A little Old Bay, vinegar and a mallet...you have the makings for a perfect afternoon.

Sort through the crabs, discarding any that are no longer living. Pour the vinegar and water into the lower part of the steamer pot or turkey fryer outfitted with a steamer basket. You may need more or less water and vinegar depending on the size of your pot. Make sure you have a good 3 to 4 inches of liquid. If working with a steamer pot, place the top part on the lower base. Add a few crabs and shake Old Bay over top of the crabs, this will make them angry. Pile on more crabs, then more Old Bay. Keep layering and cover the pot. Place the pot over high heat or the gas flame (if using a turkey fryer) and bring the liquid to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and steam the crabs for 20 minutes...or as I like to say "until the clicking stops." Remove the crabs from the pot and place in a large cooler to keep warm. Serve with dishes of apple cider vinegar mixed with Old Bay. Butter is for wimps. Enjoy!

Friday, August 3, 2012

What is it about Cajun spices that pair so well with creamy pasta? I have made Cajun Chicken Pasta before, in fact, I have another version that I regularly make. This recipe was inspired by Comfortably Domestic, but I made a lot of changes from her original recipe. C has for more peppers and I admit they were my favorite part of the dish as well. I would comment on what Miss F thought of it, but she was still napping a 7 pm. That is what a weekend at Grandma's ranch will do. Maybe she should visit more often, it sure wore her out. She was super excited to ride the tractor, but it turned out to be a bit too loud for her taste. Maybe next time.

Slice chicken breasts in half lengthways and pound to ½ inch thickness. Generously coat the chicken with 1 tablespoon on the Cajun spice. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil over medium-high. Sauté the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Sauté the bell peppers until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. Add the wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and remaining teaspoon of Cajun spice; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the cream. Simmer for 3 minutes more. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the pasta with the pan sauce to evenly coat. Plate the pasta, top with chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

I confess, I have never tried spaghetti carbonara before. And I certainly have not tried to make it at home. I have always been paranoid I would end up with scrambled eggs pasta. I saw this recipe on A Taste of Home Cooking, who had adapted it from Rachael Ray. I adapted it as well since I wasn't able to find the Italian peppers that the original recipe called for. Jalapenos worked just perfectly and a whole pepper costs six cents, so it is usually a go to here in Texas to add a mild heat and a lot of flavor. C and Miss F were both huge fans of Carbonara. Miss F even made up a song about bacon, corn and pasta being yummy in her tummy. I cannot believe I was scared to make Carbonara. It is a new family favorite around here.

Cook the spaghetti per the package directions, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

In large saucepan, brown bacon over medium heat. Add the corn, garlic, jalapeno and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine, add the parsley and lower the heat to simmer for 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks. Slowly add in the reserved cooking liquid to temper the yolks, whisking continually. If the liquid is too hot and you pour too quickly, there is risk of scrambling the eggs. Toss the pasta and egg yolk sauce with chicken and corn mixture. Remove from heat, add the cheese and toss to thicken sauce. Top with extra cheese and fresh cracked black pepper.